Piper PA 22-135 N3768A accident near Drexel, Missouri

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while taxiing in unfavorable wind conditions.

NTSB analysis

The pilot performed stop and go landings, at a private dirt airstrip. After his third landing, while taxiing to the east for takeoff, the pilot reported encountering several wind gusts that nosed the airplane over. The airstrip is located between two weather reporting stations. Winds for the area were out of the south at fourteen knots with wind gusts at twenty-three knots. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings, fuselage, and lift struts. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA15CA036 for the full record.